Aubrey and Doug started out their wedding planning under the assumption that they’d keep it local in the Tampa Bay area. It wasn’t long before they realized the cost of catering, alcohol, a live band and other typical wedding costs just wasn’t worth spending tens of thousands of dollars on for what they were getting.
From there, one of Aubrey’s friends was telling her how she had an amazing time attending a destination wedding at Dreams Playa Mujeres. At that point it felt like the stars aligned for Aubrey. After doing a ton of research on Secrets Playa Mujeres, the adult-only neighboring property, they made the decision to officially have a destination wedding.
Let’s dive into more about this resort and Aubrey’s experience planning her beautiful destination wedding at Secrets Playa Mujeres.
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The Resort – Secrets Playa Mujeres
All Secrets properties are adult-only, and Secrets Playa Mujeres is right next to Dreams Playa Mujeres, which is family-friendly. These are nice sister properties that give your guests the option to book at either one if you’re having a hard time deciding between adult-only or family friendly. These resorts are also very popular for destination weddings, so booking far in advance, or accepting a non-Saturday wedding date is usually required.
Aubrey’s favorite part about Secrets Playa Mujeres?
“The location and resort is beautiful!! It’s spacious and relaxing but also great for a group to run into each other often to be able to hang out also. The service at this resort is fantastic!”
Her least favorite part was that they didn’t have seltzers, so it’s safe to say they had were very happy with every other aspect of the resort. And when I asked Aubrey if there was anything else about the resort that she wanted couples to know it was to simply trust the process with the wedding coordinators. She explained that they definitely know what they are doing, do an incredible job for their weddings, and the resort is such a great place for a big group to relax and have fun at.
The Wedding Planning
Aubrey did talk about how it was initially hard to make the decision to have a destination wedding. She says she’s naturally a people pleaser, and just wanted everyone to be happy about the choice she made. This is a very common feeling for couples who choose to have a destination wedding. They want their friends and family to be happy and have as many people as possible attend, but there’s a lot to say about truly doing what feels best for you and your fiance too, regardless of how others may or may not feel about it. If you’re struggling with this decision please read our post, “How to Deal With Difficult Friends and Family Members Regarding Your Wedding.”
When it came to coordinating all of their guest’s accommodations and travel, Aubrey had a travel agent through an agency called Ships N Trips. Initially, Aubrey was working with a different agent, but she mentioned that she didn’t really feel heard and was rushed through the process.
This is a reminder to couples planning their wedding to never settle when it comes to who you’re working with. If you don’t feel a connection to that person, that they truly aren’t listening to your wants and needs, or don’t have the best communication, I would highly suggest finding someone else. You want your wedding planning to go as smoothly as possible, and don’t need the added stress of working with someone you don’t align with.
Aubrey also had an on-site coordinator through the resort named Iridian Diaz, who she highly recommended. She expressed that it’s a little stressful for them to wait until about 3 months before the wedding to fully start planning your wedding, but it’s all about trusting the process.
From there, she said the planning process went really well. Aubrey expressed that she had some concerns with everything coming together the way she expected it to, especially with never seeing the resort and doing all the planning so far away, but it all ended up being exactly as she was told throughout the planning process.
Bridal Q&A
Q: Anything else you would like to add regarding the resort that you would like brides to know?
A: Trust the process with the wedding coordinators. They definitely know what they are doing and do an incredible job for their weddings! The resort is such a great place for a big group to relax and have fun at!
Q: If the resort had wedding packages, which one did you pick?
A: Beyond Memorable for up to 79 people. We had 72!
Q: Where did you have your ceremony and reception? (i.e. pergola, beach, etc.)
A: Ceremony was on the beach at Secrets and the cocktail hour and reception was at the sugar reef terrace
Q: Did you pay for any add on’s that were not included in your wedding package? If so, what were they?
A: Flowers on the ceremony arch, flower petals for people to throw at the ceremony, string lights for the reception, live band, sparklers, bouquets for bridesmaids and boutonnieres for groomsmen.
Q: What was your biggest challenge in planning a destination wedding?
A: Sometimes the waiting period and not being able to see the resort made me a little anxious. I definitely spent a lot of time overthinking the smallest choices and was worried about our guests not liking the resort, but they LOVED IT!! Also, choosing a travel agent can be difficult, as well as getting people to respond or book on time. But it all worked out! Trust the process!
Q: If you could change anything about your experience, what would it be and why?
A: Take more time on your wedding day! Breath and get ready with your bridesmaids earlier than you think! I felt so crunched for time leading up the ceremony. Time FLIES!!! Also get all of your detail shots ready and out for your photographers before anyone comes up to your room, get payments to vendors organized beforehand, write down a list of photo shots for your photographer that you definitely want, don’t forget to eat, and send food to your groom!!! Also take time to actually eat with your groom at the reception. We both were getting pulled in so many different directions. The day goes by so fast, so soak it all up!!
Q: Anything else regarding your wedding planning and services that you would like brides to know?
A: Just enjoy the process and include your groom with planning. Drinking wine while planning and making decisions also helps! Don’t be afraid to delegate things on the wedding day to your bridesmaids or family! Especially on your wedding day, people really do want to help if they can! After all, they are all there for you!
Overall, Aubrey and Doug had a beautiful destination wedding at Secrets Playa Mujeres. And now, just like every other destination wedding couple, they get to return to that resort and relive all their memories as a vacation whenever they want.
Are you considering this resort for your wedding and need some help? Head over to my Let’s Start Planning page to get started with me!
Vendors
Wedding Dress: Lillian West from The Dressing Room in St. Petersburg, FL
Bridesmaids Dresses: Birdy Grey
Hair and Makeup: Stying Trio
Photographer: Aturo Aguilar
Videographer: LunArts Films
Live Band: Silverband Cancun